JP2004345210A - Printer and method for controlling printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer and a method for controlling a printer in which when a recording sheet is partially cut and then conveyed to the opposite direction, the occurrence of a paper jam can be prevented. <P>SOLUTION: The printer 1 comprises a thermal head H for performing printing on a recording sheet S, a cutting device 30 capable of partially cutting the recording sheet S and a platen-roller 20 which can convey the recording sheet S in both directions of the forward direction from a printing position by the thermal head H to a cutting position by the cutting device 30 and the opposite direction thereof. After the recording sheet S is partially cut by the cutting device 30, the amount of the paper feed in the opposite direction by the platen-roller 20 is changed depending on the time when the motor for driving the platen-roller 20 stops. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printer and a method of controlling the printer, and more particularly to a printer having a function of partially cutting a recording sheet and a function of transporting the recording sheet in a reverse direction, and a method of controlling such a printer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in a printer such as an electronic cash register used in a POS (Point-Of-Sale) system, a cutter for cutting a recording sheet after printing on a recording sheet in a roll shape by a thermal head or the like. An apparatus (cutting means) is provided.
[0003]
The cutter device operates in response to a cut command sent from the host device to the printer, and can cut the recording sheet after printing to issue the recording sheet as a receipt or the like.
[0004]
In such a printer with a cutter device, there is a certain distance between the printing position on the recording sheet and the cutting position by the cutter device. Therefore, when the recording sheet on which printing has been completed is cut by the cutter device and the next printing is started from that position, a blank space corresponding to the distance is generated between the upper cutting edge of the recording sheet and the printing start position. The recording sheet is consumed excessively by the amount of the margin, and the appearance of the receipt also deteriorates.
[0005]
Therefore, as a method of reducing the margin above the receipt, for example, after printing is completed and the recording sheet is cut by the cutter device, the recording sheet is moved in the reverse direction (that is, from the cutting position by the cutter device to the printing position). It is conceivable to send in the direction of return (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0006]
According to this method, the distance from the upper cutting edge of the recording sheet to the printing start position is shortened by the amount of feeding in the reverse direction, so that the margin at the top of the receipt to be printed next can be reduced.
[0007]
Further, when such a printer with a cutter device is used, for example, in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment, the recording sheet sticks to the surface of the recording sheet and sticks to the thermal head in a printing standby state. There was a problem that it was easy. If printing is started while sticking occurs, there is a problem that the conveyance by a conveyance means such as a platen roller that conveys the recording sheet cannot be performed normally, and the print quality at the time of embossing is significantly reduced.
[0008]
Therefore, when the printer is turned on or immediately before printing is started, the recording sheet is once sent in the reverse direction, the recording sheet stuck to the thermal head is peeled off, and printing is started, so that the recording sheet is transferred to the thermal head. It is possible to take measures against sticking.
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-193712
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, some of the cutter devices provided in the above-mentioned printers perform a partial cut for cutting while leaving a recording sheet after printing partially. When the partial cut is performed, the cut receipt can be prevented from dropping naturally, and the operator tears off the receipt and removes it.
[0011]
However, in the case of a printer in which the recording sheet is stuck in a reverse direction immediately before starting printing, the recording sheet stuck to the thermal head is peeled off and the printing is started after the recording sheet sticking countermeasure as described above is performed. However, at the time of continuous issuance of a receipt in which such a process of “printing and partial cutting” is continuously performed, a portion remaining by the partial cutting may be cut by being sent in the reverse direction.
[0012]
This is because when a partial cut is made so that one end of the recording sheet is partially left, the lower edge of the cut receipt at the other end is free, so that the paper exit is This is because it becomes easy to be caught by a nearby member.
[0013]
Then, there is a possibility that a receipt that has been issued and cut off immediately before is drawn into the paper discharge port of the printer and causes a paper jam.
[0014]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, and to provide a printer and a printer capable of preventing a paper jam when a recording sheet is partially cut and then conveyed in the reverse direction. The purpose is to provide a control method.
[0015]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object of the present invention, the invention described in claim 1 is a thermal head that performs printing on a recording sheet, a cutting unit that can partially cut the recording medium sheet, and printing by the thermal head. And a transporting means capable of transporting the recording sheet in a first direction from a position to a cutting position by the cutting means and a second direction opposite to the first direction. ,
After the recording sheet is partially cut by the cutting unit, a control unit is provided for changing an amount by which the recording sheet is conveyed in the second direction by the conveyance unit according to a conveyance operation stop time of the conveyance unit. It is characterized by the following.
[0016]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, after the recording sheet is partially cut, the amount by which the recording sheet is conveyed in the second direction by the conveyance unit according to the conveyance operation stop time of the conveyance unit. Can be changed. The sticking force of the recording sheet sticking to the thermal head is initially substantially proportional to the transport operation stop time of the transport unit.
[0017]
Therefore, the amount to be conveyed in the second direction to prevent the recording sheet from sticking is determined to be the optimal conveyance amount against the sticking force of the recording sheet, and the recording sheet is conveyed more than necessary in the second direction. This prevents the remaining portion of the partially cut recording sheet from being cut (partial cut), and the recording sheet from being unable to be reliably peeled off from the thermal head due to insufficient transport distance. The occurrence of paper jam can be prevented.
[0018]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the printer according to the first aspect, the control unit is configured to determine whether the transport operation stop time is longer than a specified time when the transport operation stop time is shorter than a specified time. In comparison, the amount by which the recording sheet is transported in the second direction is reduced.
[0019]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the conveyance operation stop time is shorter than the specified time, the amount of the recording sheet to be conveyed in the second direction to prevent the recording sheet from sticking is reduced. The conveyance amount is set to the minimum amount against the force, and the recording sheet is not conveyed more than necessary in the second direction.
[0020]
In addition, when the transport operation stop time is longer than the specified time, the transport amount in the second direction for preventing the recording sheet from sticking is a sufficient transport amount to resist the sticking force of the recording sheet. .
[0021]
Therefore, the amount by which the recording sheet is transported in the second direction can be easily changed according to the transport operation stop time of the transport unit.
[0022]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printer according to the second aspect, the amount by which the recording sheet is transported in the second direction when the transport operation stop time is shorter than a specified time is determined by the cutting unit. Is set to such an amount that the portion of the recording sheet that has not been cut is not broken.
[0023]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the conveyance operation stop time is shorter than the specified time, the amount by which the recording sheet is conveyed in the second direction breaks the remaining portion of the partially cut recording sheet. The conveyance amount is set to an amount that does not cause breakage, and is a sufficient conveyance amount to resist the sticking force of the recording sheet without breaking.
[0024]
Therefore, even when the conveyance operation stop time is shorter than the specified time, the recording sheet which has been partially cut due to the shortage of the conveyance amount cannot be reliably removed from the thermal head. The amount by which the recording sheet is conveyed in the second direction can be optimally set according to the length of the partial cut and the breaking strength of the recording sheet.
[0025]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a thermal head for printing on a recording sheet, a cutting unit capable of partially cutting the recording sheet, and the cutting unit based on a printing position of the thermal head. And a transport unit capable of transporting the recording sheet in both directions of a first direction toward a cutting position according to the first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction. is there.
[0026]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to execute the method for controlling a printer according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects. The invention according to the present invention relates to a computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 7 is recorded.
[0027]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0028]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
[0029]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the printer 1 according to the present embodiment is used for an electronic cash register or the like used in a POS system or the like. In general, a recording unit 2 is provided at the front, and a storage unit 3 for storing and holding the recording sheet S is provided at the rear.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 2, the recording unit 2 includes a thermal head H, a platen roller 20, and a cutter device 30. The recording sheet S passes between the thermal head H at the printing position and the platen roller 20, and further passes between the movable blade 9 and the fixed blade 14 of the cutter device 30 at the cutting position of the recording sheet, It has reached the top.
[0031]
The apparatus main body of the printer 1 is provided with a cover frame 8 that can be opened and closed and a cutter unit frame 11 for accommodating the movable blade 9 and its driving mechanism on a main body frame 7 made of, for example, metal. For example, it is covered with a panel 5 attached to a case body 4 made of a resin.
[0032]
The cover frame 8 is attached to be openable and closable about a support shaft 12 provided at the upper end on both sides of the main body frame 7.
[0033]
In the printer 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fixed blade 14 is disposed at the end of the upper surface of the cover frame 8 on the cutter unit frame 11 side.
[0034]
The fixed blade 14 is made of, for example, a long plate-like member made of metal, and constitutes a cutter device (cutting means) 30 together with the movable blade 9 (see FIG. 3).
[0035]
The fixed blade 14 is disposed such that the blade portion 14a faces the cutter unit frame 11. In addition, a slit-shaped discharge port 15 for conveying and discharging the recording sheet S is provided between the blade portion 14a of the fixed blade 14 and the bottom portion 11b of the cutter unit frame 11.
[0036]
The platen roller 20 presses the recording sheet S against the head surface of the thermal head H by being urged by urging means (not shown) such as a spring mechanism. The thermal head H includes heating elements corresponding to each print pixel, and printing on the recording sheet S is performed by causing the heating elements to generate heat.
[0037]
The rotating shaft of the platen roller 20 is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) such as a motor, and the drive mechanism can rotate the platen roller 20 in both directions. When the platen roller 20 serving as the conveying unit is driven to rotate, the recording sheet S is pulled out of the roll in accordance with the rotation direction of the platen roller 20 due to friction between the platen roller 20 and the recording sheet S (ie, the cutter device 30). (First direction toward) or the opposite direction (second direction). Hereinafter, the direction in which the recording sheet S is sent from the printing position to the cutting position and the rotation direction of the platen roller 20 at that time are referred to as a forward direction, and the opposite direction is referred to as a reverse direction.
[0038]
At the time of receipt printing, printing over a plurality of lines can be performed by repeating the operation of printing the recording sheet S in the forward direction by a distance corresponding to one line while printing one line with the thermal head H. Then, after the printing is completed, the last printing line is cut by the cutter device 30, so that the printed recording sheet S is issued as a receipt.
[0039]
As shown in FIG. 3, the movable blade 9 constituting the cutter device 30 in the present embodiment is, for example, around the support shaft 18 provided at one end of the cutter unit frame 11 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. It can be mounted to rotate in the opposite direction.
[0040]
At the substantially center of the movable blade 9, an elongated hole 19 for driving the movable blade 9 by a driving mechanism (not shown) provided on the back surface of the cover 11a of the cutter unit frame 11 is provided. .
[0041]
In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the length of the movable blade 9 is longer than the length of the blade portion 14 a of the fixed blade 14 so that the recording sheet S is not completely cut off as shown in FIG. 3. It is set shorter by a predetermined distance D.
[0042]
Therefore, when the movable blade 9 is driven in the direction of arrow A, the recording sheet S is partially cut (partial cut) except for a part of the end corresponding to the predetermined distance D. Thus, the cutter device 30 has a function of performing a partial cut.
[0043]
The structure of the cutting means is not limited to the scissor-type structure such as the cutter device 30 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 3, but another type of cutting means may be used. Further, not only a configuration having only a partial cut function but also a configuration having both partial cut and full cut functions may be employed.
[0044]
FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram of the printer 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 includes a central control unit (CPU) 50. The CPU 50 is connected to a host computer 51 outside the printer via an interface 52.
[0045]
The printer 1 further includes a ROM 54, a RAM 56, a print control unit 58, a cutter control unit 60, a transport control unit 62, a cover detection unit 64, a paper feed switch 66, and the like, which are connected to the CPU 50.
[0046]
The ROM 54 stores various control programs, print character patterns, and the like. Further, the RAM 56 is provided with a reception buffer for holding commands and print data received from the host computer 51. Further, the print control unit 58 controls the above-described thermal head H, and causes the thermal head H to perform printing on the recording sheet S in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 50.
[0047]
The cutter controller 60 controls the drive mechanism of the movable blade 9 of the cutter device 30 described above, and causes the cutter device 30 to perform a partial cut of the recording sheet S in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 50.
[0048]
The transport control unit 62 controls the driving mechanism of the platen roller 20 described above, and rotates the platen roller 20 in the forward or reverse direction in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 50 to move the recording sheet S in the forward direction. And transport in the opposite direction.
[0049]
The cover detection unit 64 includes a sensor that detects the open / closed state of the cover frame 8 and notifies the CPU 50 of the open / closed state of the cover frame 8. The paper feed switch 66 is provided on the operation panel. When this switch is operated, the CPU 50 causes the transport control unit 62 to rotate the platen roller 20 in the forward direction.
[0050]
As described above, in the printer 1 of the present embodiment, the recording sheet S can be partially cut by the cutter device 30, and the recording sheet S is transported in the forward and reverse directions by the platen roller 20. be able to. These operations are performed in response to a control command transmitted from the host computer 51. In the following description, the operation of transporting the recording sheet S in the reverse direction is referred to as reverse paper feed.
[0051]
The CPU 50 of the printer 1 according to the present embodiment interprets a command received from the host computer 51, and responds to a command such as a print command or a partial cut command in response to a print control unit 58, a cutter control unit 60, and a transport control unit 62. , The operation of printing, partial cut, reverse paper feed, etc. is controlled.
[0052]
Further, the CPU 50 has a function of measuring a transport operation stop time (for example, a motor stop time) in a drive mechanism of the platen roller 20 as a transport unit, and measures the measured time and a preset specified time. In accordance with the result of the comparison, a control unit capable of changing the driving amount of a motor or the like for temporarily driving the platen roller 20 to rotate in the reverse direction by the transport control unit 62 is included.
[0053]
Here, for example, the measurement of the motor stop time can be performed using a time base interrupt. Since the time base is always operating during the activation of the printer, the motor stop time can be constantly monitored. Further, by using the time base, it is not necessary to use a new timer. Needless to say, a new timer may be used.
[0054]
Further, the transport operation stop time is not limited to the case where the elapsed time after the motor stops is measured, but may be measured by another method such as measuring the elapsed time after the partial cut is completed.
[0055]
Therefore, in the present embodiment, by controlling the operation in response to the partial cut command as described below, the recording sheet S is transported in the reverse direction (second direction) more than necessary at the time of the reverse direction paper feeding, and the partial cut is performed. The remaining portion of the recording sheet S is not cut off or the recording sheet S cannot be reliably peeled off from the thermal head H due to a short conveyance amount, thereby preventing the occurrence of paper jam. Have to be able to.
[0056]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing performed when a partial cut command is received in the present embodiment.
[0057]
Note that the processing shown in FIG. 5 is realized by the CPU 50 executing a control program stored in the ROM 54. As shown in the figure, when the partial cut command is received, first, in step 100, the recording sheet S is transported in the forward direction by the designated amount. That is, the paper is fed by driving the platen roller 20 until the last print line exceeds the cut position, and the motor stops.
[0058]
Next, after starting the motor stop time measurement in step 102, in step 104, the partial cut is executed, and a command reception waiting state is set.
[0059]
When a command is received in the command reception waiting state (step 106), next, in step 108, it is determined whether or not the reverse paper feed is designated as "present".
[0060]
As a result, if the reverse paper feed is designated as “present”, the process of step 110 is performed. On the other hand, when the reverse paper feed is not designated as “present”, the print processing is executed in step 120 without performing the processing in steps 110 and 112.
[0061]
Next, in step 110, it is determined whether or not the sticking countermeasure reverse paper feed is designated as "present".
[0062]
As a result, if the sticking countermeasure reverse paper feed is designated as “present”, the process of step 112 is performed. On the other hand, if the reverse paper feed for sticking countermeasure is not specified as “present”, in step 118, for example, the cueing processing of the backward paper feed 60 steps and the forward paper feed 7 steps (the margin at the top of the receipt) Is made smaller.
[0063]
Next, in step 112, the elapsed time from the stop of the motor (motor stop time) is set to a predetermined time (in this embodiment, set to one minute, but the length of the partial cut and the breakage of the recording sheet) are set. (Set appropriately according to the strength or the like).
[0064]
As a result, if the motor stop time is shorter than the specified time, in step 114, for example, the reverse paper feed processing for sticking countermeasures of 13 steps of reverse paper feed and 13 steps of forward paper feed is performed. At 120, a printing process is executed. On the other hand, if the motor stop time is longer than the specified time, in step 116, for example, the reverse paper feed processing for sticking prevention of 30 steps in the reverse paper feed and 30 steps in the forward paper feed is performed, and then in step 120 The printing process is executed in.
[0065]
As described above, in the printer 1 of the present embodiment, after the partial cut is performed, the reverse paper feed amount in the reverse paper feed processing for sticking prevention can be changed according to the motor stop time. .
[0066]
The sticking force of the recording sheet S sticking to the thermal head H is substantially proportional to the motor stop time at the initial stage of sticking. (In this embodiment, 13 steps or 30 steps).
[0067]
That is, at the time of continuous issuance of a receipt (when the motor stop time is shorter than the specified time) in which the “printing and partial cut” processing is continuously performed, the sticking force of the recording sheet S is small and recording is performed more than necessary. Since it is not necessary to feed the sheet S in the reverse direction, the reverse direction paper feed amount is set to the minimum transport amount (13 steps) without breaking the remaining portion of the partially cut recording sheet S.
[0068]
Therefore, the remaining portion of the recording sheet S that has been partially cut by the backward paper feed is cut off, and the receipt issued immediately before that has been torn off is drawn into the paper output port 15 of the printer 1 and the paper generated. Clogging can be prevented.
[0069]
When the receipt is issued alone (when the motor stop time is longer than the specified time), the sticking force of the recording sheet S may increase. And a sufficient transport amount (30 steps) that can be surely peeled off.
[0070]
Therefore, the recording sheet S cannot be reliably peeled off from the thermal head H because the reverse direction paper feed amount is insufficient, and it is possible to prevent the print quality at the time of ejection from remarkably lowering.
[0071]
Further, in the present embodiment, by comparing the motor stop time with a predetermined time set in advance, it is possible to easily change the reverse paper feed amount in the reverse paper feed processing for sticking prevention.
[0072]
Further, when the motor stop time is shorter than a predetermined time set in advance, the amount by which the recording sheet S is fed in the reverse direction is set to an amount that does not break the remaining portion of the partially cut recording sheet S. Without doing so, it is also possible to set a sufficient conveyance amount to resist the sticking force of the recording sheet S.
[0073]
In this case, when the motor stop time is shorter than the specified time, there is no possibility that the partially cut recording sheet S cannot be reliably removed from the thermal head H because the transport amount is insufficient. Further, the amount by which the recording sheet S is fed in the reverse direction can be optimally set according to the length of the partial cut and the breaking strength of the recording sheet S.
[0074]
It should be noted that the printer and the printer control method of the present invention are not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, but may take various forms based on the spirit of the present invention.
[0075]
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the platen roller 20 is used as the transport unit for transporting the recording sheet S has been described as an example. However, the recording sheet S is pressed against the head surface of the thermal head H by the platen, and is separately transported. A paper feed roller can also be arranged as.
[0076]
Further, in the above embodiment, the recording sheet S is partially cut (partial cut) while leaving a part of the one end of the recording sheet S. However, the part to be left at the time of the partial cut is not limited to one end of the recording sheet. A partial cut may be made so as to leave a part of the central portion.
[0077]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the printer and the printer control method of the present invention, after the recording sheet is partially cut, the recording sheet is transported by the transport unit according to the transport operation stop time of the transport unit. The amount to be conveyed in the direction 2 can be changed. The sticking force of the recording sheet sticking to the thermal head is initially substantially proportional to the transport operation stop time of the transport unit.
[0078]
Therefore, the amount to be conveyed in the second direction in order to prevent the recording sheet from sticking is determined to be the optimum amount of conveyance to resist the sticking force of the recording sheet. This prevents the remaining part of the partially cut (partial cut) recording sheet from being cut off, and the recording sheet from being unable to be reliably peeled off from the thermal head due to insufficient transport amount. The occurrence of paper jam can be prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal structure of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a printing position and a cutting position of a recording sheet of the printer shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a cutter device of the printer shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram of the printer shown in FIG.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing performed when a partial cut command is received in the embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1. Printer 20 Platen roller (transportation means)
30..Cutter device (cutting means)
H. Thermal head S. Recording sheet

Claims (8)

A thermal head for performing printing on a recording sheet, cutting means capable of partially cutting the recording medium sheet, a first direction from the printing position by the thermal head to a cutting position by the cutting means, and the first direction Transport means capable of transporting the recording sheet in a two-way direction opposite to the second direction,
After the recording sheet is partially cut by the cutting unit, a control unit is provided for changing an amount by which the recording sheet is conveyed in the second direction by the conveyance unit according to a conveyance operation stop time of the conveyance unit. A printer characterized in that: 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the control unit conveys the recording sheet in the second direction when the conveyance operation stop time is shorter than a specified time, as compared to when the conveyance operation stop time is longer than a specified time. 3. A printer characterized in that the amount to be reduced is reduced. 3. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the amount by which the recording sheet is conveyed in the second direction when the conveyance operation stop time is shorter than a prescribed time breaks a portion of the recording sheet that has not been cut by the cutting means. A printer characterized by being set to an amount that will never occur. A thermal head for printing on a recording sheet, cutting means capable of partially cutting the recording sheet, a first direction and a first direction from a printing position by the thermal head to a cutting position by the cutting means; A conveying means capable of conveying the recording sheet in a two-way direction opposite to the second direction, a method for controlling a printer comprising:
A control step of, after partially cutting the recording sheet by the cutting means, changing an amount by which the recording sheet is conveyed in the second direction by the conveyance means according to a conveyance operation stop time of the conveyance means. A method for controlling a printer, comprising: 5. The printer control method according to claim 4, wherein the control step causes the recording sheet to be moved to the second position when the transport operation stop time is shorter than a specified time compared to when the transport operation stop time is longer than a specified time. A method for controlling a printer, characterized in that the amount conveyed in a direction is reduced. 6. The printer control method according to claim 5, wherein the amount by which the recording sheet is conveyed in the second direction when the conveyance operation stop time is shorter than a specified time is not cut by the cutting unit. The printer is set to an amount that does not break the printer. A program for causing a computer to execute the printer control method according to any one of claims 4 to 6. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 7 is recorded.

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